Feed box for cartridge belts of machine guns



` jm@ 9, w25. y 395mg@ H. C9. `RUSSELL. ET AL FEED BOX FOR CARTRIDGE BELTS OF MACHINE GUNS Filed April 18 1922 y@ WW2/M we?! Patented June 9, 1925.

HERBERT 0. RUSSELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND CHARLES LEIGH' PAULUS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

FEED BOX FOR CARTRIDGE BELTS 0F MACHINE GUNS.

Application led April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,416.

T o al? whom t may com/:em:

Be it known that We, HERBERT O. RUSSELL and CHARLES LEIGH IAULUS, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Detroit and Dayton, in the countiesof Wayne and Montgomery, and States of Michigan and Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Boxes for Cartridge Belts ofMachineGuns, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

This invention relates to feed boxes for the cartridge belts of machine guns. The object is to provide a feed box adapted to house and guide cartridge belts such as are used on machine gunsand the box is intended particularly for use upon a flexibly mounted airplane gun of the Browning type.

lVhen a machine gun is flexibly mounted,l

the belt is apt to get out of alignment with -the feed way when the gun is adjusted upon its mount. This makes it diflicult for the operator to adjust the gun quickly Without causing a jam of the belt and cartridges in the feed way. The present invention aims to overcome this difficulty.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a feed box of such construction as lto adapt the same to be easily and quickly mounted on and demounted from a machine gun by a simple shifting movement of the box laterally with respect to the gun, suitable locking means being employed to hold the box in fixed `relationto the gun during the operation ofthe latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide ample clearance between the abut-` ting walls of the feed box and the gun, to enable the feed box to be shifted laterally With respect to the gun and to further provide the necessary clearance for several cartridges and belt links which project from one of the lWalls of the feed box. By this means the feed box may be mounted upon the gun and shifted in such relation thereto as to project several cartridges and belt links into the feed way of the gun, the result being that when the feed box is in its-final or locked position, the foremost cart-ridges are in proper position to be acted upon by the fecd pawl and retaining pawl of the gun.

The gun will then be ready for operation.

.A still further object of the invention is to provide a feedbox of `the character referred to which may be operated by one handor in other words, a feed box Which is adapted to be mounted and locked on the gun andunlocked and demounted Itherefrom with the use of one hand only enabling the gunner to keep his other hand on the gun r1 Vith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in Ithe novel cons-truction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

u The accompanying drawing represents a vertical cross section through the improved feed box, shown in its applied rela-tion to the machine gun which lis also shown in cross section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the improved feed box 'which is shown as mounted upon 4a machine gun indicated generally at 2. j

In the preferred embodiment of this linvention, the feed box 1 is made of saddle forn`1a-tion or is of inverted U-shape and is of proper size and shape to enable a cartridge belt to be placed therein in folded formation. The feed box' comprises a recess or space 3 in the bottom thereof and the width of the said space is considerably greater than the Width of the machine gun so as to enable the feed box to be shifted laterally back and forth with respect to the machine gun, the Purpose of which will presently appear.l

It is proposed to use in connection with the feed box, a link belt, several of the feed links of which are rigid with relation to each other so that several cartridges may be supported by said links While in a projected position or while projecting beyond the exit throatof the feed box. In order to enable this to be carried out the 'feed box` 1 is formed With an elongated exit throat 4 in alignment with the feed Way 5 of the gun position as shown in the drawing. The widtlr of the recess 3 in the bottom of the feed box is such as to provide the necessary clearance for the cartridges 6 and the projecting end of the link belt when the feed box is placed over the gun and moved downwardly while being pressed to the right in the drawing until the left hand inner wall of the feed box bears against the adjacent side Wall of the gun The 'feed box is then moved laterally to t e left as far as it will .when the feed box is in its final adjusted go, the result being that the projecting end portion of the belt and the cartridges 6 car# ried thereby are pushed into the feed way 5 of the gun where the foremost cartridge is engaged by the feed pawl 7 of thegun, backward movement of the belt being prevented by the retaining pawl 8 of the gun.

Mounted within the feed box is another retaining pawl 9 which engages one of the cartridges and prevents backward movement of the belt. As shown in the drawing, the retaining'Y pawl 9 is engaged by a spring catch 10 when the pawl 9 is pressed upwardly as the cartridge passes under the same. The pawl 9 is then maintained in its raised position by means of the spring catch 10. If desired, however, the retainin(y pawl 9 may be left free or, in other words, the spring catch 10 may be eliminated, it being evident that the pawl 9 will ride over the cartridges as the belt is fed through the feed way by the action of the belt feeding means of the gun.

When the feed box is in its operative position, it is held by means of ra pin 11 fixed on the feed box and which engages in a recess or slot 12 in the mounting bracket 13 secured to the top of the gun and' supporting the feed box in proper relation thereto. v

The feed box hereinabove described is adapted to house and guide vthe cartridge belt of a machine gun and is particularly intended for use upon a flexibly mounted airplane gun. The construction provides for obtaining the proper alignment between the belt and the gun as'it is a simple matter to adjust the feed box in relation to the gun. It is only necessary for the operator to use one hand to mount and demount the feed box, leaving the other hand free to control and hold the gun. f

ing means for securing said box to said l gun, said box being releasable from said gun by a movement of the same laterally with respect to said gun, and means in said box to prevent backward movement of the cartridge belt.

2. A machine gun belt feed box including means for securing said box to said gun, said box being releasable from said gun by a movement of the same laterally with respect to said gun, said box being of saddle formation adapting it to straddle the gun.

3. A machine gun belt feed box provided with means for securing the box to a gun, the said means permitting the release of the box from the gun by a movement of the box laterally with respect to the gun.

4. A machine gun belt feed box including means for securing said box to said gun, said box being releasable from said gun by a movement of the same laterally with rcspect to said gun, said box having a cartridge exit throat adaptedto support several belt links inI projected position and enable the cartridges held thereby -to be thrust into the feed way ofthe gun when the box is moved laterally with respect to the gun.

5. A machine gun belt feed box including means for securing said box to saidgun, said box lbeing releasable from said gun by a movement of the same laterally with respect to said gun, and means for holding said box in fixed relation -to the gun including a mounting bracket on the gun, and a bracket engaging member on the box.

In testimony whereof we aix our signatures.

HERBERT O. RUSSELL. CHARLES LEIGH PAU LU S. 

